Whicker: Boxer 'Perro' runs free

Nov. 8, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Alfredo Angulo, here delivering a right during his 2009 victory over Cosme Rivera, returns to the ring Saturday after a seven-month stint in an immigration detention facility. JOE CAVARETTA, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Alfredo Angulo, here delivering a right during his 2009 victory over Cosme Rivera, returns to the ring Saturday after a seven-month stint in an immigration detention facility. JOE CAVARETTA, ASSOCIATED PRESS

His lawyers came to the El Centro detention facility of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, usually with no good news over those eight months, but with lots of printed words.

Angulo read the entire series of "The Hunger Games," and particularly liked "The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior." But for a 30-year-old junior middleweight contender with a short working window, Angulo did not confuse the lack of combat with peace.

"There were great fights going on," Angulo said Wednesday at Staples Center. "Normally I was at all those events. Just hearing about them and not getting involved didn't go well with me."

Finally, Angulo escaped the hammerlock of the INS and left custody after seven months. He meets Raul Cazarez on Saturday night, on the undercard of the super bantamweight title match between Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno, but any event for Angulo is a main one.

Angulo was 20-1 when he was knocked out in six torrid rounds by James Kirkland. That was Nov. 5, 2011, and at that point he could only fight in Mexico because his visa had expired, a sloppy bit of caretaking by his ex-managers.

Shortly afterward, he attempted to return to Los Angeles, to rejoin his wife and daughter, but he was detained at the Calexico border station.

Seven months passed before he found his way to immigration court and was released.

"The dirty word here is 'discretion,''' said Kelly O'Reilly, the immigration lawyer who teamed with Lucy Haro to represent Angulo.

"There was one immigration director who had discretion, who would not let him post bond. We offered to let them name the amount. Usually it's only a problem if you're a flight risk or if you have a criminal record.

"We told them that Mr. Angulo is a professional boxer, that there's no place for him to hide while he does his job, that he's not going anywhere. We even offered him to let him wear an ankle monitoring device."

Nothing worked. At first Angulo wasn't allowed to read or to replace the beat-up sneakers he was wearing. There was an exercise period, but by the time Angulo got better shoes, it was April and often 110-degrees-plus.

There were four hours of TV, two English and two Spanish, but Angulo eventually gravitated toward the others who were being held, the ones who weren't famous, with few dollars and less guidance.

"People there aren't criminals," Haro said. "They're looking for an opportunity. Alfredo knew most of them had no reason to come to the U.S. We could spend a half-hour with them and realize what they needed to do. Some lawyers charge them $1,500 up front, get work permits, and then watch them get deported after being held there for months."

"I had to live it to really understand it," Angulo said, smiling. "I could probably get a law degree now. But I think one thing the (U.S.) government needs to do is take a look at who they put in charge of these detention facilities. El Centro's facility was among homes and schools and I don't think that's the right place."

Angulo had no criminal record and, contrary to reports, was not deported. There is the usual murkiness about how he descended into this mess. His former promoter was Gary Shaw, who was trying to negotiate a match with Sergio Martinez at the time.

Angulo, known as "Perro" for his dogged approach, has grown his hair and beard to the point that he resembles the Geico Caveman. When his hair gets to 10 inches he will cut and donate it to Locks of Love, which tends to children who suffer alopecia or who have lost their hair through treatment.

His new trainer is Virgil Hunter, whose pupils include Andre Ward and Amir Khan. Ward and Angulo competed in the 2004 Olympics, with Ward winning gold and Angulo (for Mexico) getting eliminated by Ireland's Andy Lee.

"He's been off, but he didn't put on 20 pounds, and he doesn't have any vices," Hunter said. "All he really had to do is get into condition, and he's had 4½ months.

"He's sparred with nothing but really technically sound fighters."

Angulo is no ring strategist, unless your idea of strategy is face-on-face.

"His fighting style is not the style that takes forever to get right," Hunter said. "He does have technical ability, and that's what I'm trying to add to, without taking away the dog in him."

Angulo's power and skill might be replaced. Seven months cannot be. Saturday night, in many ways, is Day One.

"On Nov. 10 you guys will realize how much I lost," Angulo said, no longer smiling. "Or didn't lose."

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